Field
The following description relates generally to wireless network communications, and more particularly to managing interference.
Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as, for example, voice, data, and so on. Typical wireless communication systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, . . . ). Examples of such multiple-access systems may include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, and the like. Additionally, the systems can conform to specifications such as third generation partnership project (3GPP), 3GPP long term evolution (LTE), ultra mobile broadband (UMB), evolution data optimized (EV-DO), etc.
Generally, wireless multiple-access communication systems may simultaneously support communication for multiple mobile devices. Each mobile device may communicate with one or more access points via transmissions on forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from access points to mobile devices, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from mobile devices to access points. Further, communications between mobile devices and access points may be established via single-input single-output (SISO) systems, multiple-input single-output (MISO) systems, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, and so forth. In addition, mobile devices can communicate with other mobile devices (and/or access points with other access points) in peer-to-peer wireless network configurations.
To supplement conventional access points, additional restricted access points can be deployed to provide more robust wireless coverage to mobile devices. For example, wireless relay stations and low power access points (e.g., which can be commonly referred to as Home NodeBs or Home eNBs, collectively referred to as H(e)NBs, femto access points, femtocells, picocells, microcells, etc.) can be deployed for incremental capacity growth, richer user experience, in-building or other specific geographic coverage, and/or the like. In some configurations, such low power access points can be connected to the Internet via broadband connection (e.g., digital subscriber line (DSL) router, cable or other modem, etc.), which can provide the backhaul link to the mobile operator's network. Thus, for example, the low power access points can be deployed in user homes to provide mobile network access to one or more devices via the broadband connection.
In this regard, deployment of such low power access points is unplanned in many cases, and thus the access points and/or mobile devices communicating therewith can cause interference to other low power access points, macrocell access points, or other devices in the vicinity. In one example, some low power access points can operate in a restricted association allowing communications only from certain devices. In this example, devices in-range but not allowed to communicate with the low power access point can interfere therewith when communicating to a different access point. In this regard, for example, devices communicating with the low power access point can increase transmit power to combat such interference. Thus, in one example, transmit power of mobile devices communicating with the low power access point can be capped to mitigate interfering with other mobile devices and/or access points by virtue of increasing transmit power. Capping transmit power, however, can degrade uplink performance of the mobile devices.